The Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2024

This water filter system is the gold standard for many thru-hikers and backpackers across the globe. The Sawyer Squeeze ($41) filters down to 0.1 microns, making it effective against bacteria and protozoa (thus, slightly more effective and safer than other filters). Newly updated with a better flip cap, this filter can be used with a water bladder, directly from a bottle, or inline in a hydration system.

Given our bench-testing, the given flow rate of 1.7 liters per minute seems accurate to us, though this number can be harder to recreate halfway through a thru-hike. Senior Editor Nick Belcaster used the Squeeze as his primary filter for his Pacific Crest Trail thru, and it performed admirably. From high desert cisterns of unknown quality to sources in the Sierra that likely didn’t even need it, the Squeeze was dependable.

During this time, he sparingly backflushed the filter and when needed, found a sport cap and Smartwater bottle combo to recreate the pressure provided by the syringe that comes with the Squeeze. For longer or more remote expeditions, the syringe is a nice addition to bring along.

We’ve also played around with the hydration pack inline set-up with the Squeeze, and while functional, we found it a bit finicky. Best to leave this filter mated up to a water bladder, or, straight from a soft drink-threaded bottle.

The pouches that come with the Squeeze aren’t the best, and form pinholes where they’re folded repeatedly. During his thru-hike, it was only a couple hundred miles before Belcaster’s pouches bit the dust (and, based on the number of similar bags found in hiker boxes, he wasn’t alone). A popular upgrade is to snag a CNOC 2L Vecto bladder, which is far easier to scoop water with and much more durable.

We love that there are no annoying tubes — you just screw the filter onto the squeeze bag or a bottle and drink. For overall ease of use and durability, the Squeeze has earned its place at the top of the list.

The LifeStraw Personal ($20) is one of the most consistently high-rated water filters of all time. The simple straw-style filter uses a hollow fiber membrane that filters out bacteria, protozoa, and microplastics down to 0.2 microns (the standard for water filters). It’s also the lightest on the market at 2 ounces and costs less than lunch these days.

That said, it’s only good for drinking water directly from the source and doesn’t work for filtering into bottles, so it definitely has its limitations. For long-distance backpacking, you’ll probably need a secondary water filtration method. But it’s a great budget pick and a solid option for emergency kits, backpacking, hiking, bugout bags, or international travel.

In full honestly, however, the best use we were able to drum up for the LifeStraw is to bring along while flyfishing or kayaking. Being in the water all day makes the most sense for a filter like this, and we loved leaving our bottles behind and sipping straight from the source instead.

There’s a set of flip caps on both the inlet and output sides, which means that you can deploy this filter quickly and when you’re done, not worry about grunge making its way in there. There’s little to no restriction on the flow rate when drawing through the filter, so don’t feel like this is a milkshake through a straw scenario. We could take full gulps through the Lifestraw.

For the ultra-minimalist, or the backpacker who wants an easy-to-use option they can pull straight from an outer pocket of their pack, the LifeStraw Personal is a must-have. If the filter-as-you-go style is what you’re after, but you want a means of moving some water as well, check out a filter bottle like the LifeStraw Go Series or Grayl GeoPress.

To justify taking anything on an extended thru-hike it needs to be dependable, lightweight, and durable enough to last for months of torture. Today, you usually see one of two popular filters being used by long-distance hikers going the length of trails like the PCT and AT: the Sawyer Squeeze or the Katadyn BeFree ($40).

One of the authors of this guide has taken the BeFree on three different thru-hikes across America and has nothing but praise for this tiny ultralight wonder. At 2.3 ounces, it barely registers in your pack. The filter membrane has a lifespan of 1,000 liters and a flow rate of 2 liters per minute, bumping it just ahead of the Squeeze and many others in the flow department.

Its 0.1-micron microfilter allows you to confidently gulp down any water you encounter on a long trail (though the murky cow troughs in New Mexico on the CDT did have our tester filtering twice), and the high flow rate means you’re not wasting a bunch of energy just to get a sip in. The wide mouth of the flexible flask allows it to fill up in just a couple of scoops, and you can clean the filter by simply swishing water around in the flask.

It’s not flawless, though. First, it isn’t as versatile as the Squeeze in that it won’t fit over standard water bottle mouths (this isn’t an issue if you plan to just use the included flask or other 42 mm bladders such as HydraPak). Second, it tends to clog a little faster in filthy water than other filters, including the Squeeze. The cleaning method also isn’t as flawless, as it has you shake the debris free instead of forcing it out with water.

Those gripes aside, this is still the top pick for hundreds of long-distance hikers, and for good reason. If you’re looking for an ultralight filter with a solid flow rate for long adventures, don’t pass the BeFree 0.6L by.

If you really don’t want to sacrifice weight for a filter — or are in an area that eats filters for breakfast — chemical treatment is a great option. Katadyn’s Micropur M1 Tablets ($16) have been a top choice over the years, thanks to their purifying powers and easy-to-use instructions.

Our exploits have taken us to high-alpine outflows where every water source is heavily laden with glacial silt, and for quick filtration, chemical tablets do the trick (though we sometimes prefilter a bit with a bandana). Otherwise, these tabs ride along with us in our emergency kits, as they’re about the lightest option you’ll encounter, and less likely to spill than chemical drops like Aquamira.

Some claim there is a slight aftertaste, although we like these much better than other chemical treatments. Also, we agreed that learning the wait times is important. The tablets destroy viruses and bacteria in 15 minutes, but it takes 4 hours to kill the pesky cryptosporidium parasite. This is a good bit longer than our second choice in chemical treatment, Aquatabs (30 minutes to clean), but if you’re using chemical filtration, you’ve likely got some time to kill anyway and may as well kill everything.

For backpacking trips, you can use tablets in the evening to ensure that you have clean water for the next day. These are also great options for trips where you’re operating out of a backcountry base camp for side excursions. Most filters have the potential to fail, so having a few Micropur Tablets stashed away for emergencies is smart.

Gravity filters use the force of gravity to pull water through the filter. For that reason, they’re extremely user-friendly. Just fill it with dirty water, hang it, and come back in a few minutes to find filtered water waiting in another container. They work great for larger groups or when you want to filter a lot of water all at once. They’re also quite light, given their speed and ease of use.

At just 6.8 ounces, the Katadyn BeFree Gravity Filter ($75) is the lightest gravity filter on this list, beating out the Platypus GravityWorks by 5 ounces. Using the same filter element as the handheld BeFree, this setup filters 3 liters at a time and comes with a quick-connect output hose to easily fill multiple bottles, pots, or bladders. The wide-mouth port on the dirty-water bladder makes filling up quick, and a simple shutoff valve makes filling different vessels easy.

It also doesn’t require commonly involved filter maintenance like backflushing — since it clears itself with a vigorous shake of the filter. Similar to the Sawyer Squeeze, the flow rate is great, and because the bag rolls down, it’s fairly packable.

The expected filter lifespan of 1,000 liters is likely on the conservative end, but it is a good bit lower than the 100,000 gallons (that’s 378,541 liters) that the Squeeze claims. Our testing has shown that the BeFree will last for at least an entire thru-hike, at least.

Overall, it came in behind the Sawyer Squeeze in our testing, largely because it’s more expensive. However, for those who don’t mind spending a little more or are traveling as a bigger group in the backcountry, this is definitely one of the best backpacking water filters available. It’s proven itself over many backpacking and hunting trips in the Rocky Mountains and beyond.

Read Review: Fast & Clean: Katadyn BeFree 3L Gravity Filter First Look

MSR makes a few pump filters, but this one is our favorite. The MSR MiniWorks EX ($120) protects against bacteria, protozoa, heavy chemicals, and particulates. One of our favorite features of this filter is the fact that it’s compatible with both MSR Dromedary Bags and Nalgene bottles, so you can easily attach and pump into your drinking vessel.

Pump filters aren’t as prevalent today as they once were, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place. Large groups are an excellent place to deploy a pump filter like the MiniWorks, where ease of use and not having to refill a dirty water bladder constantly can save time. It’s also pretty foolproof to stick into someone’s hands and educate them quickly: Stick this end in the water, then pump.

The filter element is ceramic, meaning you clean it over time instead of replacing it (although you may need to replace the tubing). This field reparability is a pretty common theme among MSR kit —such as the brand’s expedition stoves — and it’s something those on long river trips will come to appreciate. The filter’s carbon core also does some heavier lifting than comparable filters, sucking up heavy metals and organic compounds.

During testing, we had a few users note an issue with pressure building up in the filter chamber, causing the flow rate to slow. We still found we could hit the rated 1 liter per minute, but only with some good arm muscle. MSR says that a tempo of around 70 to 80 pumps a minute is prime, and we’d agree. The $120 price is a bit on the high end for pump filters, but if you’re after the best, this is it.

The MiniWorks EX is the filter we’d reach for on a float down the Grand Canyon with friends, and that’s where it’ll excel. Pro tip: using a ‘flocculant’ such as aluminum sulfate before filtering super sedimented water will condense large particles together, making for easier filtering.

The Grayl GeoPress ($100) uses electroabsorption and activated carbon to purify water. Simply fill, press down, and drink. It is that fast. (And yes, the convenience, fast filter time, and quality of this filter make it worth the price.) Of the bottle filters available today, this is our favorite.

This is truly the best if you’re drinking from really sketchy, off-grid water sources or want a filter for backpacking that isn’t a bladder and hose system. The activated carbon filter medium goes a step beyond most other filters in protecting against heavy metals, chemicals, and viruses — in addition to common protozoa and bacteria.

We’ve tested this filter abroad and love it for international travel. It’s ideal for when you want to filter all tap water before drinking, and it works wonderfully as a constant companion to keep you hydrated on the go. We’ve also used it backpacking and thru-hiking on the Appalachian Trail. For one or two people, the GeoPress is an awesome purification method.

One of our biggest issues with other filter bottles out there, such as the LifeStraw Go, is the inability to add powdered drink mixes to our water on the go. Thanks to a recent design update, Grayl incorporated a one-way ‘Drink Mix Valve’ into its filters, meaning you can load up the electrolytes without worrying about clogging your filter.

We love the GeoPress’s fast flow rate of 5 liters per minute (under 30 seconds to get clean water). The top complaint is its size (though it’s not any bulkier than a Nalgene). Also, the replacement cartridges are expensive at $30 and need to be replaced every 250 liters. All that being said, however, this is an easy go-to for international travel, or shorter day trips where you won’t need to camel up on water.

Read Review: GRAYL Geopress Purifier Gets an Ultralight Upgrade: Geopress vs. Ultrapress Review

Sleek, lightweight, and thoughtfully designed, the newly minted LifeStraw Go Series ($45) filter bottle is ready for a rowdy road trip across Mexico or a casual day on the river. Its streamlined, stylish design joins forces with a 0.2-micron filter and 4,000-liter lifespan to deliver a hard-working portable filter that’s equally at home on trail or around town.

Muted and flashy colorways abound for whatever your vibe might be, and the quick-release top handle protects the nozzle, allowing it to be carried around with ease. It’s crafted with surprisingly quality materials for such an affordable model, and has a premium, top-shelf feel. While we love the ability to swiftly unscrew the top handle and snag a quick slurp, we found it can sometimes pop off when we don’t want it to, as it’s only screwed on by a couple of threads.

At $45, this is one of your best bets for a budget filter bottle. It uses the same type of hollow-fiber filter as the original LifeStraw but seamlessly incorporates it into a BPA-free plastic bottle, that’s now made from 50% recycled plastic. The filter straw takes a bit of a suck initially, but soon flows with ease, and has a phenomenally natural taste to it. We do wish it extended a bit lower into the bottle, as we regularly have to pour out a few milliliters of unfiltered liquid — which is a bit deflating on a backpacking trip.

The 22-ounce bottle is a solid alternative option to the straw if you won’t be near water sources as frequently. The activated carbon filter reduces chlorine, organic chemical matter, and odors for a better taste than other filters we tried, making it a fine bottle to tote around on daily outings.

Similar to the original LifeStraw, we love that the Go Bottle is quick and simple to use. It’s even easier than just the straw, as the bottle provides a way to carry and store water when you aren’t near a source. We also dig the approachable price point.

The MSR Guardian Purifier ($390) filters out nearly everything (including viruses), has an excellent flow rate, and even self-backflushes during use. For most people and places, however, it’s downright overkill. If you’re setting up for a serious adventure that requires filtering a lot of very sketchy water, however, you may want to consider forking over the cash.

The difference between this filter and the more affordable MiniWorks EX is both a higher flow rate (more than twice the capacity), and that self-backflushing ability, which the pump accomplishes by using 10% of the water it filters to clear the membrane and flush back into the source with the second tube. The unique uptake float keeps the supplies separate and means your time to clean this filter is near zero.

The Guardian physically removes viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and particulates, including hepatitis A, E. coli, giardia, cryptosporidium, and more. Just be ready to lug a large item that weighs in at over a pound.

The MSR Guardian is probably one of the best backpacking water filters on the market. So why didn’t it top the list? Well, in two words, price and weight. It costs a pretty penny at $390 and weighs considerably more than other filters. We find that most users will be better suited by the MiniWorks EX filter, which still accomplishes the same feats, just a bit slower and with some additional cleaning.

Read Review: MSR Guardian Purifier — Last One You’ll Ever Need

A newer filter system on the market is the small and packable Platypus QuickDraw. We tested it for several months last year (and plan to use it a lot more this year) and love its low weight, packable size, and good filter rate.

The QuickDraw’s hollow fiber filter component and 1-liter plastic reservoir come in at just 3.3 ounces. The dual-thread design is awesome and allows you to screw the filter onto both the reservoir and a threaded plastic bottle (like the popular Smartwater bottles).

We found it super easy to use and backflush, and we experienced a good flow rate. The filter is good for 1,000 L before it needs a replacement.

Factoring in the size, weight, and price, this filter nearly made it higher on the list. But the Sawyer Squeeze filters down to 0.1 microns — slightly better than the QuickDraw’s 0.2 microns — for a few bucks less. Overall, the Quickdraw is still one of the best backpacking water filters you can buy.

Read Review: Water Filter Review: Small & Speedy Platypus QuickDraw Rivals Sawyer Squeeze

The Katadyn Hiker Microfilter ($90) has been one of our long-time favorite pump filters for its great price and performance in the long run. Several users found it can last for 2 to 6 years before having to replace the filter, and for a pump filter, it’s on the more affordable side.

The Hiker filters bacteria, protozoa, microplastics, and chemicals down to 0.2 microns, which is comparable to other pumps like the MSR MiniWorks EX or Guardian. Like the Guardian, the Hiker Microfilter also implements a prefilter on the intake side to cut down on the amount of large debris that reaches the main filter element — greatly increasing the time in between cleaning.

Filtering is quick enough at 1 liter per minute (which we had no problem hitting in our timed tests), and despite the more old-school design, pumping wasn’t a chore to get through water for a crew of hikers. The included bottle adapter is quick to fill up Nalgenes, and while we haven’t tried out the hydration reservoir adapter yet, it seems to be a quality design for those who use bladders.

So why doesn’t the Hiker Microfilter place higher in our lineup? It’s our opinion that the MSR MiniWorks EX and Guardian simply do the job better, and are easier to field clean (often an issue when filtering the sediment-thick waters you’ll purify with a pump filter). The ABS plastic exterior of this filter is also pretty slick, and because of the downward direction you’ll need to pump in, it can be a little tricky to get a good grip on when pumping for a while.

For $90, however, it slides in below both of those filters, and if you’re after a pump filter but don’t want to spend more than $100 to get one, the Hiker Microfilter can be a smart buy.

We put the new LifeStraw Peak Series — a personal straw filter, squeeze filter, and gravity filter — to the test this spring on the Appalachian Trail. The Peak Series Personal Straw Filter ($25) and Squeeze Filter ($44) turned out to work great for filtering water at various sources in the backcountry.

The personal Peak Series filter worked extremely well and had a good flow rate. After 20+ years of LifeStraw being on the market, it was nice to finally see a big upgrade in materials and design.

The new design is comfortable, easy to use, durable, and easy to clean and backflush. If you’ve used a LifeStraw filter before and are maybe looking to replace it, we definitely recommend the Peak Series version.

The LifeStraw Squeeze Filter also performed well in testing, though not as much as others on our list. It’s modular, so while it has the filter incorporated inside the squeeze pouch, you can also move it to the outside (and swap out the cap) if filling bottles or not drinking directly from the filter. Both are a great price.

Read Review: I Hiked the Entire Appalachian Trail Testing This Water Filter: LifeStraw Peak Gravity 3L and Peak Squeeze Water Filter Review

The Platypus GravityWorks 4L ($135) has won a spot on our list for the second year in a row. Why? The Platypus is good for when you need water for more than just drinking (straw filters are great, but not for filtering several liters of water at a time).

So far as gravity filter systems go, the GravityWorks is the full ticket, with other systems like the Katadyn BeFree Gravity Filter only providing a single dirty water bag. The Platypus option instead hooks it up with both dirty and clean 4-liter bladders, and tacks on a few other niceties that might lure you to this setup.

The quick disconnect hose on the dirty bladder side was one of those perks, which meant that we could fill up without the need to bring the entire filter system with us down to the water source. The wide-mouth opening of this bladder is also nicer to use compared to the screw-top mouth of the BeFree Gravity, though we did find that it doesn’t always stay closed.

Filter rates are about on par between these two options, with the slight edge going to the BeFree. We did find that sometimes the GravityWorks could develop an airlock when first being set up — something that’s easy to remedy by elevating the clean side bladder for a minute to bleed out the air. Then, it’s smooth sailing.

Both gravity systems work great, and between the two, it’s tough to call either a clear winner. Those familiar with the BeFree system will find it an easy choice, but if you’re already plugged into the Platypus world with their hydration bladders, the GravityWorks 4L could be a great way to go for large group filtration.

With an easy-to-fill 10-liter reservoir and a 1-liter per 2-minute flow rate (which the brand claims is 2.5 times faster than the competition), the MSR Guardian Gravity Purifier ($300) takes technology designed for the military and brings it to groups of backcountry explorers.

The purifier meets NSF P248 testing standards, removing bacteria, protozoa, pathogens, and viruses through the 0.02-micron hollow fiber media. With an activated carbon component, it also pulls out chemicals, tastes, and odors — something that other gravity systems like the Platypus GravityWorks or Katadyn BeFree Gravity don’t host.

MSR’s setup is simple, even if you do need ample space to get the dirty reservoir at least 6 feet above the clean water receptacle (fairly common for gravity water filters). The speedy flow rate is ideal, and the bottle adapter fits a range of sizes to allow the filling of separate water bottles or a larger container with the entire 10 liters.

This new purifier is up there as one of the best backpacking water filters for larger groups. With no backflushing required and a mesh carrying case, teardown is quick and easy.

If you’re going where there are no trees for hanging, this could be tricky. Also, at over a pound, it really only works for larger groups where you can split up the load. In our opinion, one of the only reasons we’d opt to use the Guardian Gravity over other gravity systems is if you know you’ll be heading into an area where water taste is a known issue.

Read Review: MSR Guardian Gravity Purifier Offers Epic Viral Protection, 10 Liters at a Time

UV filters are popular for a lot of reasons. They don’t require pumping or filtering, and the wait time to kill bacteria and viruses is fairly short (between 60 and 90 seconds).

Our first SteriPEN Adventurer ($120) recommendation came service of a mountain guide who had done the tango with suspect water one too many times and burnt out his gut flora — making the common chemical treatments alpinists use no longer an option. He praised the UV filter as being simple to use, long-lasting enough to get him through week-long mountaineering courses, and hard to break — an essential.

Using the Adventurer is pretty simple: just get your bottle of water ready (wide-mouth bottles are essential here), activate the UV light, and stir for a minute and a half. There are two options: 1 and 0.5 liters, but either way, once your time is up, everything nasty is sufficiently zapped. This type of filtration won’t take out particulates in your water, so take some advice from our mountain guide friend: filter through a bandana first.

At 3.6 ounces, the SteriPEN is a little bit heavier than other filter options like the Sawyer Squeeze or Platypus QuickDraw, but if your water is fairly clean to begin with, the speed at which you’re able to go from dirty to drinkable can’t be beaten by those filters. Longevity isn’t a problem, either, with 8,000 treatments being standard.

The rather inexplicable part about the Adventurer is that it runs on CR123 batteries and not a rechargeable internal battery. Most backpackers today carry some type of external battery pack, and recharging the SteriPEN would be simple to do. bumping up to the SteriPEN Ultra ($130) will get you that USB charging ability, but in a bigger footprint.

Even still, for shorter trips where quick filtering is key (or you’ve been unkind to your gut biome), the SteriPEN Adventurer can be a key pickup toward getting your water quickly.